THE NEW FORESTRY. 99 



the Austrian fir, which was often substituted for it ; but how- 

 ever nearly related botanically the two may be, they are 

 perfectly distinct as forest trees, and both kinds are now easily 

 distinguished by their foliage and habit anywhere and at all 

 ages. The Corsican fir is of a rather cylindrical, thin habit, and 

 the leaves have a twist and colour by which it is easily dis- 

 tinguished from the rigid-spined, bushy Austrian. The latter 

 also varies considerably in habit, while the Corsican is generally 

 true to its character. It thrives in almost any soil, and were 

 it desired to plant fir extensively anywhere we should certainly 

 plant Scotch and Corsican firs, and expect the latter to take 

 the lead from 'the beginning. 



CLUSTER Fir. Pinus pinaster.- — -This is another very 

 useful fir for planting near the sea-side. It has been exten- 

 sively and successfully planted on the west coast of .France 

 within the last hundred years, and now yields a variety of 

 useful forest products there, including pit-props, quantities of 

 which are exported to Wales for the coal pits there. It also 

 grows well close to the sea near Bournemouth and elsewhere. 



AUSTRIAN Fir. Pinus Austriaca. — This is an exceedingly 

 hardy species anywhere and in any soil. It varies in habit, 

 but generally it is of bushy, dense habit, and of a slower height- 

 growth than the Scotch or Corsican firs. It is one of the very 

 best species to plant for shelter purposes, but is an inferior 

 timber-tree owing to its rigid and thick horizontal side 

 branches which are not soon shed unless the tree is planted 

 thickly by itself, hence its timber is very knotty and rough, 

 but otherwise it is equal to the Scotch. Owing to the bushy 

 habit of the tree it is apt to be blown to one side and 

 consequently grows up with a bent trunk. 



Weymouth Pine. Pinus strobus. — This tree has never 

 been really tested as a timber-tree in this country, and descrip- 

 tions of it given hitherto, of British-grown specimens, are 

 clearly taken from park and lawn examples where neither the 

 height-growth of the tree nor its suitableness for plantation 

 culture could be tested. It is the Scotch fir of America, its 

 timber being more extensively used than that of any other. 

 In Germany it is one of the few exotic species that has been 

 favourably reported on. We saw fine examples, taller and 

 bulkier than the Scotch fir among which it grew, at over two 

 thousand feet elevation, not far from Eisenach. It is said to 

 be more fastidious as regards soil than the Corsican fir, doing 

 best in cool, moist situations and deep soils, in which respect 

 it forms a suitable companion to the spruce. 



